This invention relates to the treatment of waste water drain systems and, in particular, to a system for the controlled injection of bioactive liquids to reduce the accumulation of fats and grease which otherwise would reduce flow in the system and ultimately cause a stoppage.
The problem of drain closure and reduced carrying capacity is recognized by all homeowners. The matter is generally handled by the use of commercial dissolving agents whenever the situation becomes severe enough to require immediate action. Typically this means that a stoppage has taken place. The average homeowner takes no preventive action to insure that buildup does not occur within his drain system and reacts only to the condition when it occurs. However, the operator of a commercial establishment which processes or prepares large quantities of food cannot afford to merely react to a condition when it occurs, but rather is required to take preventive measures so that no interruption of food-handling operations occurs. In addition, the large volumes of clogging agents entering into a commercial drain system can result in health and safety hazards arising if steps are not taken on a regular basis to ensure adequate and continuous flow of waste materials.
The advent of bioactive liquid cultures and their commercialization has now given the operator of a commercial establishment an effective agent for substantially reducing clogging problems due to accumulations of grease in his drain system. The use of these liquid agents has markedly reduced the need for physically removing buildup within drain systems. One method for automatically flushing and injecting bioactive agents in a waste system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,797,208 wherein periodic flushing and injection utilizes a plurality of solenoid valves and extensive logic circuitry to control the valves. While this method is found satisfactory in providing the desired result, the cost of the devices required to practice the method is not acceptable to the user. Alternatively, a combination of manual injection of the bio-active liquid and physical treatment of the drain system is frequently employed.
The use of employees or specialized service companies to provide the needed draining cleaning operations is time consuming, expensive and has the capability of disrupting normal business operations. This is especially the case when the cleaning function has not been performed on a timely basis and/or unplanned increases in usage occur within a short period of time. Consequently, a present need exists for an effective automatic system which injects bioactive liquid media into the drain system on a controlled basis without requiring complex valving or extensive control circuitry.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to the provision of a drain treatment system which can be readily attached to the storage container for bioactive treatment fluid and is operative to regularly inject fluid into the drain system. The invention enables the treatment to take place during low use hours and without requiring the presence of an operator. In addition, the present invention provides a system which enables the amount of bioactive liquid and the periodicity of the injection thereof to be readily adjustable so as to compensate for changes in usage at the site. Also, the need for valving to interconnect with the water supply is obviated.